Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(68)

"Darren, I can't!" I was ashamed when my voice cracked.

"You can," he said patiently. His eyes held pity. "Ryiah, Bo was sick. It happens with the hounds occasionally when they are bitten by an infected animal - or even one of the strays. There's no known cure when it happens… there was nothing you could have done differently." He patted Wolf's head. "Heath and the rest of the kennel's staff know the signs. You are safe. Now come meet Wolf." His smile brightened as he looked down at the shaggy-haired mutt. "He's the only family member I can promise will give you a warm reception."

I forced myself to take a step forward, and then another, until I was in front of the gate. Darren nodded encouragingly as I unbolted the latch and timidly stepped through its entry, every inch of me on alert.

Darren held out his hand and I took it, hoping he wouldn't notice how clammy my fingers had become. I let him gently pull me closer to Wolf, and then held myself rigid as the mutt eagerly sniffed at my boots. The other hounds remained at a distance, seeming aware of my obvious discomfort. Wolf yelped and I dropped Darren's hand, heart slamming into my ribs. For a second all I could see was the cold, hard axe and Bo whimpering in a pool of his own blood.

"It's okay, Ryiah." Darren's voice broke through the haze as his hand found mine again. "Wolf just wants you to pet him."

The hammering in my ears shifted and I forced myself to look away from the prince and down to the panting gray dog at my feet. The dog looked up at me and thumped its tail, then made another whining noise.

"He's a bit needy, I'm afraid I've spoiled him."

I took a deep breath and reached out to touch him. Wolf yipped and jumped up to meet my hand. I stumbled, unable to stop myself from pulling back in fear, and landed on the ground with Wolf bounding up right on top of me. Wolf lodged his head at my throat and I shrieked, arms held up against my face only to feel his warm, wet tongue licking my wrists and hands enthusiastically. I lowered my arms, embarrassed, and the dog darted in to lick my face much to my chagrin.

Meanwhile, standing above me was Darren, shaking with laughter.

I timidly began to pet the dog, still keeping one eye on him while I shot Darren a half-hearted glare. "Thanks for that! I could have been mauled!"

"By what? Being licked to death?" Darren snickered and then crouched down beside me to rub Wolf's head. "Naw, this one is a coward. The palace cats tease him about it all the time. The hounds chase them and then they take their frustration out on poor ol' Wolf because he's not fast like the rest of them. He's only a stray."

I couldn't help smiling a little as I shifted to a crouch, still petting Wolf. This isn't so bad – Bo was like this too, before it happened. "A stray?"

Darren nuzzled his dog's neck, seemingly unconcerned that he was getting white and gray fur all over his dress. "Yes," he said absentmindedly, "when Wolf was just a pup Heath found him wandering the palace grounds… I'm not sure exactly how he got through the gates, but it was raining and he was nothing more than a pile of bones. At the time Father was pressuring me to get a hound of my own for the yearly hunt – I was ten. I was a bit defiant, as you know, so I chose the most pathetic animal I could find and that was Wolf." He grinned. "The look on Father's face was priceless when I showed up to my first hunt with a stray."

"So what happened?"

Darren's hand faltered on Wolf's neck. "Nothing I wasn't expecting." He glanced at his dog and the smile returned. "During the hunt one of the men broke his legs falling down a ravine and his horse didn't survive the drop. We separated in search parties to try and find him – I, well, Wolf found the man attempting to fend off a pack of feral wolves by himself… Usually they don't attack humans but that winter was particularly cold and I don't think they had had much luck with game of their own…

"The soldier and I managed to kill three – but Wolf did two all on his own. He couldn't have been more than six months at that time. It's how he got his name. After that, Wolf was a hero of his own right so my father let the kennel master keep him on."

"Yet the palace cats tease him?" I raised a brow.

Darren chuckled. "Well, those cats are smarter than most humans. You should see how the cook rants whenever one of his prized chickens goes missing. And it must happen at least once a week. They are merciless."

I rubbed Wolf's belly, pleased to note the anxiety I'd been feeling had all but disappeared. Wolf was making excited yips and rubbing his back against the ground so that Darren and I had no choice but to continue patting his stomach. "This one seems pretty smart on his own accord."

Darren grinned. "Wolf has had me wrapped around his finger since the day we met. There hasn't been a day gone by that I've been in the palace and not visited this kennel. Before I joined the Academy he used to roam the training grounds during the day and watch me drill. All of the servants, even my training master, loves him, and Wolf always knew better than to go near the gardens where the courtiers were likely to complain-"

"He better not be with that filthy animal of his!"

Darren and I glanced at each other: both of us recognized Prince Blayne's angry voice coming from the entry to the kennels. He couldn't be more than two minutes away.